Back in the day, Husband and I were lucky enough to make frequent trips to California. We had our little get-aways perfectly planned. We’d hop the Thursday morning Nerd Bird to San Jose, jump in a convertible, and head south to Carmel or Big Sur. We felt the pressures of the world unwinding like clockwork about an hour into our car ride when the concrete crust congealing Silicon Valley dissolved into an earthy, fertile oasis somewhere around Watsonville. It’s a surreal transition. One we always marked with a quick stop to a farm stand to buy cherries. There is nothing more cathartic than zooming down PCH 1, wind in your hair, ocean on your right, mountains on your left, and spittin’ cherry pits to mark your path.

These memories inspired the cherry crisp baking in my oven at this very moment. In fact, I’m naming this dessert Big Sur Cherry Crisp. If you happen to have a big bowl of cherries on your counter as I did, toss them into a crisp, and you’ll be California Dreamin’ too.

Big Sur Cherry Crisp

3 cups cherries, pitted

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbs vanilla

2/3 cup flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbs cinnamon

1 Tbs maple syrup

1 Tbs vanilla

8 Tbs (1 stick) butter

Do you have a cherry pitter? I’m not much in to one trick ponies, but I heart my cherry pitter! Pit the cherries in a bowl.

Sprinkle cherries with sugar and vanilla. Toss to coat.

Pour cherries into a baking dish, and set aside after you taste just one!

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, oats, sugars, cinnamon, vanilla and maple. Slice butter into pieces and cut into mixture by hand. Knead the mixture until its well combined and crumbly.

Sprinkle the oatmeal crumbles on top of the cherries. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Speaking of California, we are blessed to have weather this morning that feels coastal. I’m off for a quick hop, limp or walk just to enjoy the cool temps. And to work off tonight’s Big Sur Cherry Crisp.